Award-winning CTS is a "very Michigan car"

DETROIT -- Three display cases featuring recent awards for the 2008 Cadillac CTS, with its Flint-built engine, are proudly displayed at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

Banners outside Cobo Center highlight the Caddy's recent pick up of Motor Trend Magazine's car of the year award for 2008.

So when another General Motors' product, the Chevrolet Malibu, took home the 2008 North American Car of the Year award Sunday, Cadillac officials were OK with sharing top honors.

"You can't win them all, but I think we pretty much won everything else," said John F. Howell, director of global products for Cadillac. "We've been extremely successful with the Motor Trend award, the Car and Driver award," he said. "There's been an almost endless list of accolades that the car has gotten."

Sunday was the first day of press previews for the huge auto show that opens to the public Saturday and runs through Jan. 27.

Two Michigan automakers went for big trucks, with Ford unveiling a 2009 F-150 and the compact Ford Verve and Dodge its new 2009 Ram. And GM announced a major ethanol initiative and unveiled the Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept and Hummer HX concept.

Cadillac today was expected to show off a fuel cell concept and its high performance 2009 CTS-V.

The '08 CTS features a 3.6-liter V-6 engine or optional 304-horsepower direct-injection version, both built at GM's Flint Engine South.

Flint Engine South's under-the-hood power is also found in vehicles such as the Buick Enclave.

Ledford said the about 600 hourly and salaried workers at the plant -- which also won its own Top 10 engine plant award from the 2007 Harbour Report -- are proud of the CTS' awards and that the plant's engine is part of the car.

"It's the heartbeat of the car," he said. "It has a lot to do with General Motors giving the 100,000 mile warranty. They know they're not going to have problems with it."

The new CTS model has been a popular seller since debuting this fall and could be Cadillac's top selling vehicle this year, Howell said.

He called the CTS, a "very Michigan car" that sticks out with its exterior styling, in-car technology and its performance.

"They're attracted to the styling, but then the car delivers when you talk about performance," he said.

The vehicle is built at GM's Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing and starts at $33,400.

The new North American Car of the Year, starting at under $20,000, is built at GM plants in Orion Township and in Fairfax, Kan.

"The new Malibu is the best midsized car we've ever produced," said Ed
Peper, general manager for Chevrolet, as he accepted the award near a shiny blue Malibu on display.

"It's a great looking vehicle," Peper later added. "...It's got great fuel economy.
It's the quietest car in its class."

Last year, GM won North American Car and Truck of the Year awards for the Saturn Aura and the Chevrolet Silverado.

The Mazda CX-9 took home the 2008 North American Truck of the Year, beating out the Buick Enclave and the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. The other car of the year finalist was the Honda Accord.

An independent panel of automotive journalists in the United States and Canada chose the award winners, as they considered things such as value, innovation, performance and driver satisfaction.